Rod Wood has spent nearly a decade leading the Detroit Lions through one of the most significant cultural shifts in franchise history. Ask him what made the difference, and he won’t point to a draft pick or a playbook. He’ll point to people — how you hire them, how you align them, and how you lead them when the stakes turn.
Authenticity, credibility, and the path to the Lions
“If you’re not authentically who you are, people know. And once you lose that, you lose the locker room,” Wood says. In his view, credibility starts and ends there. He points to Head Coach Dan Campbell as proof. “He is authentically who he is. If you watch him after a win or a loss, he’s the same person. That steadiness is critical.”
Teams notice how leaders show up. When you’re steady, they’re steady. When you swing with every outcome, they feel it, too. Credibility comes from steadfast consistency, not just a top-notch, qualifying résumé.
So, what does that look like when you’re asked to step outside your industry?
That focus on credibility helped Wood make a leap that looked a little questionable when, in 2015, he moved from wealth management to football. Before stepping into the Lions’ presidency, he’d built a career in commercial banking and wealth management and later ran the Ford family’s private office — a role that gave him early exposure to the Lions’ business and operation sessions. “I’d been involved in board meetings, strategic discussions — so when I took the role, I wasn’t starting from scratch.”
A decade later, the transition is less about novelty and more about durability: in another word, grit. The same financial disciplines and people-first approach he used in wealth management are now part of how he leads an NFL franchise. But, listening, he adds, was as important as any directive.
Culture, hiring, and alignment
Ask Wood about the Lions’ turnaround, and he talks about culture. “It can all collapse like a house of cards if you don’t have the right alignment,” he says. That meant putting shared values ahead of individual egos. “One person can disrupt the culture.”
The draft makes this clear. The Lions interview, test, and background-check prospects, talking to everyone who’s crossed paths with them. Still, mistakes happen. “You’d be blown away by the amount of information we have. And teams still get it wrong,” Wood admits. The difference is how fast you respond. “You don’t debate it forever. You recognize it, you move on, and you don’t let it damage the culture.
If you’ve ever held onto a mis-hire too long, you know what he means. The longer you wait, the bigger the cost. And protecting the culture on the field is only part of the job. For Wood, investing in the team isn’t so different from investing in the people who make it all possible: the fans.
Global reach, local roots, and the fan experience
As president, Wood thinks about both growth and loyalty. On the growth side, the Lions are part of the NFL’s expansion abroad. “Germany has 21 million avid NFL fans — and we have one of the league’s most popular players, Amon-Ra St. Brown, among German fans. It’s a natural fit for us.” Brazil and Canada are next.
On the local side is Detroit. “It’s not just writing checks. We’ve built a vision focused on youth, flag football, scholarships — things that create long-term impact.”
You see it on game day. “Fans are the business,” Wood says. The experience can’t be an afterthought. Surveys, focus groups, even hiring secret shoppers to evaluate whether the details deliver on that commitment. Fans can always stay home and watch the game. “You can’t take it for granted that people are going to come. You’ve got to make it easy, affordable, and worth their time.” What brings them back to the field goes beyond concessions. It’s the electricity in the stadium. The atmosphere that can’t be replicated on-screen. When fan experience wavers, it weakens team support and that loss of energy finds its way onto the field.
When was the last time you looked at your client experience with that same level of scrutiny?
Advice for leaders
When asked what guidance he’d offer other leaders, Wood keeps it simple:
- Assume you know nothing. Enter curious, ask questions, and walk in ready to listen and learn.
- Talk to people at every level. Perspective at the top is limited and the most valuable insights often come from the people closest to the work.
- Decide quickly who’s with you and who’s not. The longer you wait, the harder it is to build a culture of alignment that lasts.
And then the principle that threads them all together: “Our product is people. Hire great ones, give them the tools to succeed, and then mostly get out of the way.”
Leadership can change, but principles should remain consistent because every business — no matter the product — is a people business. If you don’t invest there first, everything else is a short-term win at best.
The next play
Rod Wood’s path shows that leadership principles don’t stop at industry lines. Whether you’re managing portfolios or chasing championships, your role as a leader shapes the outcome. Finance offered Wood the discipline of managing risk and capital where football demanded the culture to unify a locker room and a fan base. Different settings, same principle: It comes down to people.
If you’ve ever led through change, you know the temptation to lean on strategy alone. But strategy doesn’t hold unless people trust it and see it practiced. What especially stood out to me is how transferable his approach is. Finance, football, professional services — the industries may change, but credibility, alignment, and culture don’t. Wood’s path is a reminder that the fundamentals shouldn’t shift just because the setting does.
So, what does that mean for your organization? The real test of your leadership is whether people choose to support it when the pressure mounts. When you’ve invested in them, they will.
